Europe Top-16 Cup | 17 Sep 2021

Mattias FALCK prepares for Top 16 in Germany and Sweden

Mattias FALCK of Sweden is at the top on the list of the favorites at the forthcoming 2021 POMEGRANATE Europe Top 16 Cup in Thessaloniki (Greece) on 18-19 September. This year it will be his fifth appearance at the tournament and he features as the number one seed.

Last time in Montreux he was also the top seed , but finished the tournament seventh. Timo BOLL, Darko JORGIC and Robert GARDOS secured the top three places in Montreux.

We asked FALCK how the pressure of being at the top of the list of seedings affects his performance.

"I am getting used to it now. But it's very close in Europe between the players so I know it will be a hard competition with hopefully a lot of tough matches," said FALCK. "I am looking forward to playing in the Europe Top 16 Cup and playing against the best players in Europe. It's a big title and I hope I can perform well."

FALCK played for a first time at the Top 16 in 2017 in Juan-Les-Pins, Antibes.

In Tokyo, he reached the quarterfinal with the Sweden team and finished in the third round of the Singles Event.

"The Tokyo Olympics was better than I thought. Of course it was not a "normal" Olympics but everything was good and I had a good experience there. The results could of course have been better but I've learnt a lot from there that will make me a better player. "

The base after the Olympics and before POMEGRANATE Europe Top 16 Cup in Thessaloniki is the same.

"I took 10 days off after the Olympics and I was home in Halmstad recharging. I prepared with a lot of matches in Bundesliga and the same week as top 16 I had practice in Halmstad to come in a good shape."